


Predawn

by blackmoonalcolyte (jomipay)



Category: Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)
Genre: Cuddling, M/M, Wilde week 2020, actually you are cold and I must cuddle you so you don’t die, i am cold and you must cuddle me so I don’t die, post 171, prerelationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:42:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27609161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jomipay/pseuds/blackmoonalcolyte
Summary: Zolf takes a slightly tipsy Oscar to bed and comes up with a creative solution to keeping him warm.
Relationships: Zolf Smith/Oscar Wilde
Comments: 10
Kudos: 56
Collections: A Wilde Week 2020





	Predawn

**Author's Note:**

> Written for day 2 of Wilde week, loosely ‘memory’ based.

It had been a long time since Oscar had drunk enough to feel the effects, but his head was pleasantly hazy. Even with the alcohol warming him and wearing Hamid’s coat, he was still shivering. Zolf had settled next to him once things had died down around the bow bar. The alcohol had taken away just enough of his sense that he leaned into the warmth of Zolf’s body. Zolf made to shove him playfully away, but there was no real strength in the action.

“Oi, ‘m not a leanin’ post.”

Oscar rubbed his face against the shoulder of Zolf’s thick coat, and leaned in closer, drawn in by the warmth seeping from the body next to him.

“You bloody cat.” Zolf protested, but he did not move away, nor did he make any efforts to move Oscar away.

“Not my fault you’re so warm.” Oscar said by way of explanation.

He dozed off pressed to Zolf’s side, with his head tipped back against a wall at an uncomfortable angle. Zolf’s shifting eventually roused him.

“C’mon.” Zolf got up and offered a hand to him that he used to haul him to his feet. “Let’s get you to bed.”

Oscar wasn’t very sure of his feet on the airship at the best of times and that issue was unpleasantly magnified by the alcohol. He kept knocking into Zolf who eventually grabbed his elbow to steady him. He did not let go until they got to his room. He managed to hide his surprise when Zolf followed him into his little sleeping spot. There was a hammock slung over what could be considered a desk, if the one doing the considering was being generous. 

Zolf raised an eyebrow.

“Bit cramped in here.”

Oscar waved his concern away and shucked off his shoes and bundling himself into the hammock.

Zolf made to sit down.

Oscar batted his eyelashes. “Are you going to stay and watch me sleep, my darling?”

Zolf reached up to swat his arm and Oscar fidgeted away, snickering.

“People have been awfully chatty tonight, could just do with a nice quiet spot for a bit.”

Oscar hummed and further gathered his not-insignificant collection of blankets around himself. 

“There’s a Campbell in the drawer.”

“Oh, which one?” Zolf got up to retrieve it.

“Passion of a Thousand Suns.” 

He knew that one was one of Zolf’s favorites. It’s why he liked it so much. He snuck a glance at the pleased littler expression on Zolf’s face and smiled, allowing himself to ignore the uncomfortable pull in the right side of his face. He tried to get to sleep as Zolf read, but even bundled up in all his layers and wrapped up in all the blankets he could rustle up, he was still shivering.

  
  


“Are you still cold?” Zolf asked.

Oscar hadn’t noticed he’d put the book down. It wasn’t going to do him any good to lie. He nodded his head.

Zolf stood and reached into the depths of his blanket nest to snatch one of Oscar’s hands. 

“Great gods man.” 

Zolf took his cold hand in between both of his own, surrounding it in warmth. Zolf’s hand felt amazing against his own. It was so warm and Oscar had to stifle a groan.

“How are you this cold?”

Oscar mumbled and fished his other hand out of the blankets to put in between Zolf’s, into the little cocoon of warmth Zolf had made there.

“It’s cold all the time in here.”

His teeth chattered and Zolf’s expression shifted a few times before settling into something both determined and soft.

“Scoot over.” Zolf said as he clambered gracelessly over the desk and up to the hammock, moving to get under the covers next to him.

Oscar did his best to ignore the frenetic hammering of his heart. “Where exactly do you propose I scoot to?”

Zolf didn’t answer him, he just settled over the side of the hammock, which pitched precariously towards the floor.

“There’s not enough room for you!” Oscar squawked as Zolf finally managed to essentially roll himself on top of him.

“Well I can’t cast endure elements on you and I don’t want you to die in the night or lose a finger or something. Gods you’d be insufferable if you lost a finger.”

Zolf shifted around and Oscar decided to be cooperative, moving to make as much room as possible. Anything to take his mind off the sudden and overwhelming proximity. It ended up being most comfortable for Zolf to lay in the dip of the hammock with Oscar curled around him like a giant cat, soaking as much warmth from each surface of his body as he could manage. There was definitely not enough room for two in the hammock. Oscar was essentially laying on top of Zolf, which he was trying  _ very _ hard not to think about.

They stopped fidgeting once they’d gotten comfortable and Zolf took both of Oscar’s hands in between his again. 

Oscar slept the most soundly he ever had since being on the airship. When he woke up, he was also the warmest he’d ever been since being on the ship. He was groggy and his head ached a bit with his hangover. Light was just beginning to stream in through the port hold settled under one of the fastenings for the hammock. 

There was a hand in his hair. A hand with broad, warm fingers, scratching gently at his scalp as it moved over the waves in his hair, gently untangling them. His face was tucked into the space between Zolf’s neck and shoulder. One arm was tucked tightly between both of their bodies and the other was thrown across Zolf’s torso. His legs were tangled around Zolf’s prosthesis, which had managed to stay warm being insulated under the blankets. 

“Sorry,” he managed. “I know it’s not comfortable for you to sleep in your prosthesis.”

The hand in his hair stopped for a moment, and then continued and Oscar sighed happily.

“‘S’okay. We didn’t sleep that long anyway.”

He tilted his head to face Zolf, and the predawn light bounced off his white hair and played in his eyes. He couldn’t stop himself from staring.

“Worth it.” Zolf added, eyes going to his lips.

Oscar knew an invitation for a kiss when it presented itself. He nudged their lips together and they moved their mouths slowly together, enjoying the warmth of the others lips and tongue. They stayed that way for a time, trading sleepy, slow kisses until the predawn light shifted into day. 

“Should go make breakfast.” Zolf said and shifted under him.

Oscar let him up, holding out a hand to keep him steady as Zolf climbed out of the hammock and down the desk. 

“I’ll help.” Oscar said, following him down. 

Zolf raised an eyebrow but said nothing more, opening the door and holding for Oscar to step through. They walked to the kitchen, hands brushing most of the way, and Oscar thought that even if it never happened again, perhaps this moment, this memory would make the entire trip worth it, if nothing else managed to.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, as always feel free to tell me what you thought 🖤


End file.
